Be It As It May
by Hot Shot's girl
Summary: Armadaverse: A 16-year-old Alexis finds out she's the long since offlined sparkmate of Starscream, but why can't she remember? Turns out she'll have to bond with him to get her memories back. Will the bitter Decepticon be willing to help her remember?
1. New Life?

**Hot Shot's girl: This is dedicated to optimusXholly streamfireXjohn because they wanted me to do another StarscreamXAlexis story and also they helped me think of this :3 I hope you enjoy the first chp ;D**

A lone figure made its way past the stars and planets and systems. One would think it was lost . . . was it? Or was it going to a destination? Or was it fleeing from a homeland of some sort? No one knew, no one but the lone figure.

The shape of it was very slender, thin if you wished to use the word. It seemed to just be flying past the stars on an unknown voyage. Its color was dim due to the lack of light in the space it flew, but still you could make out the white coloring accompanied by slender violet and gold. Hints of red poked out of its sides but it strangely looked worn—the colors almost fading into shades.

There was something else that seemed to shape the figure—or at least that is what was lead to believe. Slight sparks emitted off the being, something that made its joints and rotators groan in ache. Something was wrong and even the stars and planets could tell.

As the figure slowly made its way down whatever path was lain out before it something happened to change its direction. Something internal shifted and malfunctioned. A light explosion to its left caused the figure to turn drastically, making a hard right. The speed it went seemed to pick up for a moment as the figure struggled to maintain the injury—but nothing seemed to help.

With a silent gasp the figure plummeted down. Down towards the unknown and perhaps . . . death.

A strange force took a hold of the being and forced it down, down, and down towards a planet. The figure spun out of control knowing if it didn't level itself it could very well crash into thousands of pieces upon the hard rock below. With both wings being successfully pulled out its plummet soon turned into a fast glide down towards the ground below.

It hit—and it hit hard. Rocks and soil spewed up as the figure planted itself in nose first praying that it'd stop before it reached the vegetation of a forest and the trees tore it apart. Luckily so much dirt shot up before it that it immediately came to a halt before even an inch of steel met the twisted trees of the forest. So there it lay—unmoving and unresponsive to anything.

Not much time passed before the figure began to shake, the whole skeletal structure shook violently as joints scraped against rotators. It began to bend what it could and shift what was possible and soon the figure's form changed into something very familiar to the planet.

With a limb stretching out five joints spread and grasped the dirt it lay in as if trying to pull itself somewhere else. It did not move though and the other limb known as an arm seemed unresponsive. The oval shaped head lifted and faint teal optics peered at its surroundings.

The being opened its mouth and let out a pained groan. It's steel teeth grit together feeling its whole body tremble from the impact of the landing—and previous wounds. Burying its pained face in the soil for a moment once again it tried to move.

Perhaps a foot it was able to move, perhaps an inch, but whatever it was it didn't get far. The being knew it was useless and in no shape to move and so with one last struggle it flipped itself onto its back and gazed up at the dark sky. Even though its optics were thought to hold no emotion, still—sadness was seen.

The slim hand that seemed to work lifted and came up to its breast. It tried to clamp its palm shut, but it was useless—she had not the energon left for that. Yes 'she' was a being from a faraway planet—still baffled she wondered how she had come to such a far away place.

She was a rare species known as a Cybertronian, a Transformer as one would call them. A Femme of her race, the weaker. She knew her form was not meant to go through such damage as such—she was not created to take them, no—Mechs were stronger and more fit to take on injuries. She knew they could get up and walk from this, but not her—she was not meant for it.

With a silent gasp she narrowed her teal optics in sadness. She looked up at the night sky and all the stars that shone out. They all seemed to speak to her and tell her of the one she had left behind.

Oh her spark ached just thinking about _him_. She knew it was wrong to leave his side, but was it wrong when you were forced to? Still she should have stayed no matter what—that was her role in life . . . to stay by the side of her Spark-Mate, her Bonded.

_Forgive me my love_, Her spark cried out wishing he could hear her, but knowing it was far too useless to think of such a thing.

She felt herself bite her bottom lip in frustration. How could things have gotten so out of hand this has happened? She didn't know where to start to look for the error, but now that she was so far away from home and her Bonded she felt sick—deathly sick.

She could feel the last of her energon reserves depleting. She was almost out, and these injuries were turning out to be the offlining of her. Oh how careless of her for letting herself get into such a state. What would her Bonded think?

Just the thought of him made her die a little more. She wondered who else would be by his side and nurse his injuries when he returned from a hard day of fighting the enemy, or who else would get him to smile when he wished to frown, or who else would get him to laugh when he wished to weep? No . . . she knew this was something that could never be shared by anyone else ever again—having a Bonded . . . a Spark-Mate was a once in a lifetime thing for a Transformer and could never be shared by another . . . she was going to leave him . . . all alone . . . with no one.

"Oh Starscream . . ." she cried towards the heavens in a silent whimper, her vocal processors were beginning to fail her. "I'm so sorry."

Oh it hurt so much now. She felt the ache of her spark—his spark. Even though she be so far from her beloved she could feel his sorrow . . . his longing for her. She wept knowing how selfish she was for leaving him alone . . . how selfish it was to offline and leave her Spark-Mate behind when you swore to always be by their side. How Selfish it was to know they will never bond to anyone else and forever long what is no longer there.

"Primus!" she cried out with all her being. "Primus help me! I don't want to leave him alone . . . I'm not supposed to and yet You give me no other option!"

Her very being was shattering with sadness and sorrow. She didn't want to offline and join the Well Of The Allsparks; in truth she was still far too young and leaving behind a Spark-Mate was an awful thing to do—it'd forever eat at your spark until the day they join you which could been soon—or never.

"Primus please!" she cried out to her god and savior—no matter how far away she knew she was from Him she knew he could hear her prayer—her plea. "I don't want him to suffer without me! Please Primus save me from joining the Well Of The Allsparks, save my bonded from eternal agony! I beg of You . . . please!"

She broke a little more with each passing nanosecond and no answer. Her spark was falling apart knowing what was going to become of her Spark-Mate and what a bitter life he was going to have without her . . . because she had left him alone in the world.

"If it be, Primus," she whispered out, knowing her life was coming to a close soon—very soon. "Please break our bond, break it so that he may love another and not forever live his life in sorrow and bitterness. Please Lord, I don't want him to live like that—he doesn't deserve it."

_A Bond is not meant to be broken child_, came a voice through her very spark and she knew who it was—the Creator Himself.

"Primus!" she gasped it out like a whisper of some sort—He had heard her.

_A bond between Spark-Mates are meant to represent my undying love for you, it cannot be broken . . . even in death._

"But we are not meant to live our lives in regret or bitterness either," she protested.

_That is true my child. You are all meant to live forever in happiness and if it is meant to be—with a Spark-Mate._

"Then please, please my Creator, save my Spark-Mate from such a life and grant him forever happiness," she begged. "I do not have much time before I pass away so please hear my earnest prayer and save him—keep him happy."

_I can only save him through your offlining._

"What?!" she gasped, finding enough strength to let her optics widen only a little. "But that will only make him bitter towards the world! He'll know I have passed away with the bond we will always share and he'll forever long for me . . . and I shan't be there to appease his longing."

_No, you won't. But I have heard your prayer and shall save your Spark-Mate from such a bitter life, but in order to do so you shall have to die._

"Then . . . you shall find him another to love?" she asked.

_No, I will not let your spark come to the Well Of Allsparks. Nay you are forbidden to enter for I shall set your spark abroad and let it wander this planet—this world. As one of the beings inhabiting this planet you shall be reborn and wait for your beloved._

"How long must I Lord?" she asked, some hope filling up in the back of her processor.

_An eternity._

The Femme felt her spark almost stop flaring at this. Did her Creator wish to torture her spark and soul? Did her Creator wish to torture her beloved as well?

_You must remember to wait for if you forget you shall not get a second chance._

"An eternity is such a long time," she spoke up again. "If I should forget . . . could I ever remember again?"

_Yes._

"How?" she asked.

_He will help you remember, but remember—you must also help him remember you._

"I see," she said glancing down at her broken body before she let her fading optics turn upwards towards the stars once more. "Very well . . . do what you must . . . Primus."

She gasped silently as she saw a star fall upon her. At first it was swift but as it closened towards her it slowed to all but a halt.

_I give you this pendant my child. This gives you a promise that you will be with him again, but do not lose it—it will be the only bond you shall have to him for these species here on this planet do not and cannot share such an intimate bond like our kind. Keep it close and remember._

It was strange to see her once offlined hand begin to reach up on its own accord. The small light fell in her metal palm and there, as the light faded, shown a small pendant—a beautiful green crystal-like jewel embedded in an entanglement of gold.

The Femme smiled at it, this was her promise that she'd be reunited with her Bonded once more. He would have to wait and so would she but someday . . . someday they'd return to each other.

Knowing that, the light in her optics faded and soon her coloring turned to that of shadows. Her limp body fell back into the crater she had created, unmoving. Still though, a smile kept her lip plates in place and a hand tightly grasping her _promise_.

The night was long and the stars and moon watched as the body of the unknown object dispersed into nothing but small specks of light. They all came together to form a soft orb that floated gently—still clinging to its promise. Soon it slowly moved over all the earth and in its day it had passed the world over 500 times.

Even in its slow place it had memorized every inch of the once strange planet. Now it called the place home and still—it softly tread over it. Encircling it more and more waiting—for what? It had forgotten ages ago but it knew it still _had_ to wait.

Soon it began to grow weary of its tread and endless journey. It wished to rest somewhere but it knew no place would be good enough for it to rest, no—it still wasn't home. Home to it seemed so distant, so vast and untouchable and wondered if its possible home even existed anymore.

It had an eternity to think of everything, and nothing, and still—somehow thoughts slipped away, memories vanished into nothing but dreams and hopes—hopes seemed forgotten and soon it forgot on what it was waiting for or why. It had long since been where those memories were left behind around the world. It had long since been where it seemed at peace—even with this 'promise' it held it had forgotten altogether of '_what'_ promise it held.

Yes time came for it to rest and so it did. It came to rest on a specie of the planet, a human female. As it rested inside of her something strange happened—it soon fell into a deep sleep, a deep sleep where it felt as if it was being born again—perhaps it was—perhaps it wasn't. But it could feel new life rising into it, a strange, but exciting life.

It could feel something form around it, something that felt so familiar to it—like a distant memory. Fingers, toes, ears—a body, it was a body. It was a oh-so-familiar and pleasant feeling and all it could do was wait—wait to be born . . . again.

**16 Years Later , , , **

"Alexis, Alexis wake up!" came a familiar voice towards her ear. "Alexis you're going to be late!"

Teal eyes snapped open at that word. She got up and quickly pushed the covers off her lithe body. She looked at her alarm clock and mentally cursed reminding herself she had to get it fixed.

"Mooom!" she whined as she rushed to get dressed. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

"You were out cold, how was I supposed to wake you up in a state like that?" Her mother's voice came down the hall and in the kitchen, some ways from her room.

"Ugh!" she groaned as she quickly flattened her short brunette hair and went to look at herself in the mirror.

She scanned herself over for a second and dubbed herself worthy of leaving her house. With a nod she picked up her backpack and left her room. Her mess of a room remained as it was with its owner and only occupant gone, but it wasn't long before she returned.

"Crap!!" Alexis cried as she rushed back in, dropping her pack on the floor and getting down on all fours, looking for something.

"What is it now sweetie?" came her mother's voice, wondering why her daughter wasn't trying to catch the bus as it left.

"I lost my Promise!!" she groaned out as she shoved her covers all on her bed to look under her bed.

"Your pendant?" her mother asked. "Have you dried looking on your dresser?"

"That's what I'm doing!!" she groaned as she racked all the useless junk off her dresser in the rapid search for her most precious possession. "Come on, come on, where is it?!"

"Alexis why don't you look for it when you get back home?" Her mother asked as she came in her room to find her daughter trashing it even more in search for it.

"I can't!" Alexis nearly shouted as she turned back to her mother. "I HAVE to have it! I've always had it and worn it and I'm not going to stop now!"

"Suit yourself," Her mother said with a shrug as she left her be. "I guess I'll just have to drive you to school again today."

"AHA!!" Alexis' thrilled voice came as she pulled the pendent, that had somehow fell under her dresser, out and in her hands.

With a big grin she placed it around her neck and after seeing it safely fastened around her slender neck she got up and snatched her backpack again. She darted outside where her mother was waiting in the car for her.

"Ready?" she asked her daughter as she watched her jump in the passenger seat.

"Uh-huh!" Alexis said with a happy grin and nod.

"You found it huh?" her mother noted the pendent around her neck and then shook her head with a sigh as she left the driveway. "Hhh, I swear—you and that pendant of yours."

"Heeey, don't be like that mom," she said defensively holding her pendant closer to her breast. "It's my Promise."

"Yeah, what promise?" her mother chuckled as she took a right down to the school road. "You've been calling that old thing that ever since you could talk. It's a strange name to name a necklace you know."

"I know," Alexis said with a shrug. "But it just came to me, and I like it. My Promise."

At that she stared affectionately at the pendent and ran her pale finger over the green gem encased in it. She's had this thing ever since she could remember, and it was the only item she never really grew out of. All her other childish toys and clothes she grew out of, but not this—and she swore she had this more than any such toys or clothes anyways.

"Well, we're here," Her mother said as she shifted the car into park and waited for her daughter to leave.

"Thanks mom!" she said as she quickly got out.

"Ah, ah, where are you going young lady?" her mother asked as she raised a brow and waited for her daughter to return.

"Oh, sorry," Alexis said as she quickly got back in and leaned towards her mother to give her a peck on the neck. "Bye."

"Hm, hm, by sweetheart," Her mother said as she waved her daughter off, watching as she entered just in time for the bell to ring.

And so her mother returned home while Alexis darted into her first class, leaving one second to spare.

"Hoo, man that was close!" she sighed out in relief as she slumped in her chair.

"Sheesh, again Alexis?" came one of her friends who sat beside her. "This makes it the, what, tenth time you almost missed class?"

"Shut up Rad," she groaned as she folded her arms on her desk and laid her chin in them, letting her pendant lay before her to stare at.

"Rad's right Alexis," another friend who sat beside her said. "You're going to get detention one of these days."

"Oh shush Carlos!" she said turning towards her Hispanic friend. "I just lost something and had to look for it before I left."

"What, this?" Rad asked as he poked the pendant with his index finger, Alexis glaring at him defensively. "You lost it _again_?"

"Hey, it fell under my dresser okay," Alexis stated. "I can't stop gravity."

"No, but you can clean up your room girl," Carlos said as he laughed.

"Silence you three!" the teacher pointed, instantly shutting them up.

And so after class the three met each other as they changed books for the other class they had scheduled.

"So Alexis," Rad started. "Me and Carlos found this cave and we were wondering if you'd like to come with us to check it out."

"No, why would I?" she asked, as she grabbed her needed books.

"Awww come on," Carlos begged. "It won't be the same without you Alexis and you know it."

"For the last time NO!" she said. "I've got tons of homework I need to get done, and plus I've grown out of that stage in life. I'm not a tomboyish girl anymore."

"Yeah, I can tell," Rad said with a defeated sigh. "Oh well, I guess it's just you and me Carlos."

"Yeah, guess you're right man," Carlos said with a sad sigh. "Sure you don't want to come Alexis? We'll make it nice and short for you if you want."

"No!" Alexis said as she pulled her backpack on her shoulder. "Why don't you ask Billy, or Fred? I'm sure they'll love to."

"Awww, but those guys are weird," Carlos complained.

"I could say the same thing about you two but I still hang around you," she said looking at the two who looked insulted.

"Heeey, take it easy there Alexis," Rad said, holding his hands up defensively. "Plus why do you need to do your homework? You're a whiz as it is in school, I'm sure you can get it done in no time. So come on, come with us."

"Well—I am a genius," she let out a giggle. "But no, nice try. Dad's coming home today and we're supposed to be visiting Adam at college."

"You're brother huh?" Rad said slumping his shoulders. "Well—can't get around that. Oh well, we'll just have to tell you of all the adventures we had when you get back."

"Tch, suuuure," Alexis chided as she walked off into her next class knowing the only adventure those guys will have is stubbing their toes against a rock in the dark—hmph, some adventure.

School went on like normal for Alexis. She practically fell asleep in history after lunch, but that was okay she seemed to know a fair amount of the subject and so really had no need to take notes—strangely. Once her mom came and picked her up they drove home and she sat in her room listening to music as she finished her homework, which was done in no time—just like her friends had predicted.

"Haaaa, they were right," Alexis said with a nod as she pulled out her earphones and looked at her complete and mostly correct homework.

With a satisfied nod she got up off her bed and went to head into the living room and ask her parents when they were going to be visiting her brother at college, but something stopped her. In mid hallway she stopped and grasped the wall.

"What the heck?!" Alexis gasped feeling the ground and whole house shake.

"Alexis!" her parents called to her as she made her way into the living room and was soon tossed to the couch. "Alexis stay there!"

"Mom, dad, what was that?!" she gasped feeling the last of the tremors cease.

"It felt like an earthquake," her mother noted as she looked around the house to make sure nothing was amiss.

"It did, but it wasn't a normal earthquake," her dad said as he narrowed his eyes.

He then got a call on his cell. He picked it up and spoke for a only a moment before he informed his wife and daughter he was being called back to work because of that strange happening. Both mother and daughter were slightly upset by not being able to go see Adam in college, but they figured it was best to stay inside for now.

Alexis was then struck with the image of her friends in the mountains.

"Gasp! Rad, Carlos! They were going to explore a cave in the mountains today!" she gasped as she covered her mouth knowing if they had they could possibly be buried alive right now.

Alexis quickly got up and put on her shoes. She took her iPhone with her just in case she needed to call for help if she found them. As she darted outside her mother noticed this.

"Alexis, wait, where are you going?" she asked as she watched her daughter dash outside.

"I need to see if Rad and Carlos are okay!" she said as she slammed the door shut behind her.

Outside she took her scooter and made her way towards the mountains praying they still be alive. Whatever that strange earthquake was though it wasn't anything as she watched three lights spew up from the mountains. She gasped and gawked at the strange happening and wondered just what on earth was going on.

"W-What the heck was . . . ?!" Alexis couldn't even speak as she watch the strange lights vanish and disappear into space.

She looked back at the mountains still in shock at what just happened. She shook it off knowing she was on a mission and that mission was to see her friends' safety through . . . if they were still safe. Alexis didn't know why but she felt that those lights could mean trouble—for what? She had no clue as she made her way into the mountains to, perhaps, unravel this mystery.

**Hot Shot's girl: Okay I know I need to finish my other story The Pretender but I still need to think on that story. This one though has still got a bunch of stuff to think of as well so I'd appreciate ideas if you guys would be so kind. It'd help me update faster and such :D I'm already writing up the next chp so you might see it tomorrow, mayber, should. So yeah . . . tell me what you think and feel free to fly any ideas my way! :D ;D**


	2. Familiarities

**Hot Shot's girl: Now YES I know it's Armadaverse and stuff, but I've changed it around just so you know. Hence why the kidies are 16 and not 12. So things will go along more different from the series but they'll still be after Minicons and stuff like that :) Enjoy and don't forget to review I love all your comments! :D**

"Please let them be okay, please let them be okay!" Alexis prayed as she made her way into the mountains.

She watched the large shadows of the mountains engulf her. She was getting close to where the three of them usually hung out, but when she realized that she had absolutely no idea where the cave was that Rad had said he found she stopped.

"Wait!" she gasped coming to a halt.

She blinked a few times before biting her lip in frustration. Oh GREAT! How on earth was she to find them now? For all she knew Rad and Carlos could be on the other side of the mountains!

"Calm down Alexis, just take it easy," she said to herself as she closed her eyes and easily breathed in and out to control her nerves.

After exhaling calmly she opened her eyes and looked around her. Nothing really seemed to be out of place but a few misplaced boulders perhaps. She looked on the path she and her friends would usually take when they were little, a few large rocks covered the path was all, but she could get around them easily.

"I suppose I should just keep going and hope Rad and Carlos are in the area," she said to herself as she got off her scooter and slowly made her way to the inevitable.

As she maneuvered around the large rocks something stopped her. The ground gave a good rumble and she instantly froze.

"Another earthquake?!" she gasped as she looked around and watched out for rolling boulders.

But her assumption was wrong. The rumble was quick and over with before she knew it. It was like something large was dropped to the ground. She looked around and realized it wasn't far from where she be. She had heard the—whatever it was, drop not too far from her.

"Maybe they're over there!" she said, heart hoping they be close and safe as she made her way to the right where she had heard the drop.

After moving away from most of the rocks she found the path clear and flat so hopped back onto her scooter to zoom faster down the path to find her friends. She kept her eyes on the mountains though, she knew that even after an earthquake there could still be loose rocks above head and so made sure to glance up and around every chance she got.

Taking a left this time she came to an opening in the mountains, but instantly came to halt upon seeing what lye before her. She gasped as her eyes widened at the object before her. She covered her mouth as she watched it move and—and stand UP!

"Oh—my—!!" she gasped, her eyes widening even more, if possible, as she watched the-the-the giant metal ROBOT stand up!

_What on earth is going on?!!_ She gasped inwardly as she watched the dark figure

She couldn't believe what she was seeing before. I mean come on! These guys only existed in Sci-Fi movies right? RIGHT?!

Her trembling gaze soon took her down towards what lay near the monster's feet—if that even was its feet.

_RAD! CARLOS!!_ She inwardly gasped as she clutched her scooter tightly and gapped at the two boys who seemed to be just as much in awe as they stared up at the giant metal machine.

At first she wondered what they were doing there, but that thought was pushed aside as she sighed in relief, glad to know they were alive and safe—well—for now. She glanced back up at the robot and suddenly something struck her about him . . . him? Since when did she know what gender he was? Tch, like robots have genders!

Another thing Alexis noticed was how uneasy she felt when looking at the dark purple and green robot. Something about _him_ set an unnerving in her. She couldn't explain it, but she could tell this guy was trouble.

Her eyes soon returned back to her friends' frames, but upon glancing closer she saw they weren't alone. She saw a strange figure with them. It was about their height, lean and tall. As she narrowed her eyes to peer at it closer she realized it was another robot! But this one smaller!

"What is going on?!" Alexis said to herself, pulling her hair in confusion.

She then heard a yelp come from where Rad and Carlos. Her gaze turned to them and saw that they were cowering away from the large robot as he looked down at them. She didn't know what came over her, but she quickly ran up behind the thing and took a deep inhale and shouted—

"Rad! Carlos! Stay calm! Don't anger it!!"

"ALEXIS?!!" came both their voices as they turned to see their friend standing dangerously close behind the giant intimidating robot. "What are you doing here?!"

"Yeah! I thought you said you didn't want to come here!" Carlos managed to tease her where he be.

"Just cram it guys!" Alexis said, cautiously keeping her gaze up at the giant Robot who now turned to her with a familiar red gaze. "We need to figure out how to get out of here!"

Alexis let out a squeak upon hearing the groaning of joints as the robot turned to her and looked down at her. Now she was clear in any line of fire that may possibly come. Even though she didn't know this robot on a personal basis she could tell he meant harm. It was a strange feeling, but that feeling kept Alexis at bay nonetheless.

"WAH!!" Rad and Carlos' surprised yelp making Alexis turn her gaze to them only for a moment to see that the small robot—had changed!

"What the—?!" Alexis gasped as she looked at it in surprise and confusion, also making the giant robot turn and look at the wonder.

Upon seeing it they heard the giant robot give off some sort of a—snicker? Was he smirking at this sight? Since when could robots show human features?!

All three humans watched in fascination as the little robot changed into a bike! It was somewhat similar to the one Rad had, but this one more bulky and AWESOME looking! In a flash the robot took the boys and sped through the giant's legs, coming up to the third friend.

"W-What was that?!" Alexis gasped.

"It doesn't matter, just GET ON!!" Rad said leaving no complaints for the girl as she hopped on and prayed this robot be fast enough to outrun the giant.

They hadn't gotten pretty far until something came crashing right in front of them, causing the bike robot to flip and toss them all off. There was an 'oof!' from all three as they landed on the ground.

"Okay," Alexis groaned as she rolled onto her back. "That didn't work."

"Hey, hey are you okay?!" Rad came up to the seemingly offline robot. "Hey buddy, come back!"

"I think he's out Rad," Alexis said, looking at him.

"Him Alexis?" Rad asked, him and Carlos blinking in confusion as to how Alexis knew their gender.

"W-W-Well I just—you know—it sorta—looks like a boy," Alexis said with a shrug trying to avoid as many confusing questions as possible.

"No time guys!" Carlos cried as he looked behind them. "That dude's comin'!"

All turned back to see the giant robot coming towards them. Each step he took closer to them the more the ground and rocks shook around them. They had to do something FAST!

"Guys we gotta get out of here fast!" Alexis said getting up. "I don't know why, but I just KNOW this guy is bad news! He'll kill us if he gets close enough to us!"

"Then let's git!" Carlos agreed as he got up and was about ready to dash off if they didn't noticed Rad's unmoving form. "Rad! Come on!"

"I—I can't guys!" he said, staying faithfully near the smaller robot's side.

"Why not?!" Carlos asked.

"I can't leave him!" he said, looking back at his two friends with desperate eyes.

"Well if you don't that guys' gonna KILL YOU!!" Carlos pointed towards the oncoming robot.

Before anything else was said though they all gasped as a light appeared in the sky. The light specks soon forming a form, that similar to the giant robot's.

_Crap!_ Alexis thought seeing the outline. _Not another robot!_

All gasped upon seeing the ruby transformer land on the ground and shift to a standing position. A jump startled them as the ground shook, but only for a slight moment. Their bodies were getting all-too-familiar with the quakes emitted from the giant warriors.

"Awhaw!" Carlos cried as he grasped his dark kinky hair and pulled. "Not ANOTHER one!"

"Crap!" Alexis gasped as she watched the being look down at them and then at the other giant robot.

"Uh! Optimus Prime!" the darker of the two gasped, making the teens blink in confusion.

"Optimus Prime?" the teens blinked in confusion.

"Opti—mus?" Alexis whispered out, the name sounding strangely familiar to her.

The three gasped as they watched the two give a loud shout and suddenly come clashing together. The three looked at each other before noticing the smaller of the robots had came back online. They gasped as it suddenly got up and ran back towards the cave.

"H-Hey! Wait!" Rad cried out, following it.

"Rad wait!" Alexis and Carlos called out to him as they watched their friend follow the robot back inside.

Alexis let out a groan of frustration as she too darted off after them.

"Err! Come on!" she groaned out to Carlos as they ran off after the two.

As they entered the cave they watched the little one open some sort of corridor to another room. They entered it and it immediately began to move like they were in some sort of an elevator.

"Hhh, great!" Alexis groaned out. "How do we not know this little robot isn't leading us to our death Rad?! We could be trapped here FOREVER!"

"He's not," Rad assured her as he turned to his female friend. "It's strange I know, but just like you knew he was a boy I know he's good."

Alexis blinked a little before she sighed out and swore they'd better make it out of that cave or else she was killing Rad. Once the 'elevator' stopped the creaking door suddenly opened to a lighted room. The teens had to cover their eyes from the lights and once they adjusted and were allowed to look upon the room they all gasped in amazement.

"WOOOOW!!" Carlos gasped as all slowly trod in, in awe.

"W-What is this?!" Alexis gasped as she looked around the strange, yet not strange, advanced room.

_Why do these strange things seem so familiar to me?_ She asked herself as she let her teal eyes scan over every inch of the room.

The familiar feeling of once being in something like this bugged Alexis to no end. She couldn't get it out of her mind and ever she wished to find out why, why these rooms, these objects, these beings—were like dejavu to her. It just ate away at her and she wanted peace of mind from all this inner turmoil.

"Hm, Alexis, you okay?" asked Carlos seeing Alexis grab her head as if she had a headache.

"I don't know," she truthfully admitted with a weak smile. "I'm just confused is all."

"Hey guys!" came Rad's voice from somewhere across the room. "Come check it out!"

The two came up and watched as the small robot turned and pointed over to two green disks resting peacefully on a counter. Alexis rolled her shoulders and came up to them. She smiled a bit as she ran her hand over one, the feel—familiar, just like everything else.

"Hey Alexis be careful!" Carlos spoke up. "Last time Rad touched one this whole place lit up like a Christmas tree!"

"It's okay," she said strangely calm, her mind somewhat going back to an almost foreign memory—long forgotten. "Come over here Carlos."

"Hm, me?" he asked as he came up to her as she grabbed his wrist and placed his hand on the other. "They're resting—just rub them a little to wake them up."

"What are you talking about?" Carlos blinked in confusion.

"Listen to her Carlos," Rad suddenly spoke up behind them, his eyes scanning Alexis over in wonder. "I think she knows what she's doing."

"Hm? If you say so," Carlos said with a shrug as he rubbed the plate gently, not long after what Alexis said came to pass.

The two teens backed up a little as they watched the light specks form into smaller beings. It wasn't long before the robots were standing before the awestruck teens. Alexis gave off a fond smile as she came up to the smaller robot before her and said—

"Hello Grindor."

In response the little robot chirped and clicked in happiness, almost glad to see her—strangely.

"H-How did you know it's name?" Carlos asked, looking at his friend sideways.

"I don't know," Alexis said with a shrug. "But for some reason I can understand them as clear as day—like they speak my language."

"Or you speak theirs," Carlos muttered earning him a whack on the back of his head. "Heeey!"

"Just shut up Carlos," Alexis groaned. "No one needs your comments."

"Do you know what the others are named Alexis?" Rad came up to her.

"Sure," she said with a sure nod as she pointed towards the one before Carlos. "He's Sureshock, and that one next to you Rad is Highwire."

"Are you an alien Alexis?" Carlos asked after an awkward silence.

"Shove it Carlos!" Alexis groaned. "I can't help it that I'm talented even beyond this world."

"Hmph, someone's conceded," Carlos crossed his arms and mumbled out.

"Just let's see if those robots are gone guys," Alexis said with a sigh as she trotted back over towards the elevator.

"Whoa! Check it out!" Carlos gasped, making Alexis turn to see the two other robots had 'transformed' into a larger skateboard and then a moped. "It's like they're 'disguising' themselves!"

"They probably are Carlos," Rad explained. "They are on an alien planet after all and so don't want to draw attention to themselves."

"Rad, you finally make sense!" Alexis teased as she turned back to him and smirked making the blonde grumble out that he always made sense. "'Kay now lets get out of here!"

"Right!" they all agreed as they made their way out.

The 'six' made their way out cautiously. They peered around the paths and mountains and saw no signs of any trembles or giant robots—just the left over giant footprints.

"I think the coast is clear," Rad said as they glanced around.

"Let's hope," Carlos gulped as they tiptoed out and tried to make their way out of the mountains, but sure enough—not 10 minutes later they all screamed as the darker of the robots were tossed towards the mountain right before them.

"AAAHHH!!!" they cried as they watched the groaning giant metal warrior struggle to recover from the toss.

They watched as his ruby gaze peered down at them and then at the three little robots they had.

"Err! Give me the Minicons!" he growled as he began to stand up straighter.

"Minicons?" all asked as they looked at the three robots in their possession who seemed to be trembling at the larger one's presence.

"So that's what you guys are?" Rad asked who was responded with three nods, full of chirps and beeps.

"Uh, Rad enough with the questions and RUN!!" cried Carlos as the three darted off in the other direction of the robot.

As they continued their way they were yet again stopped by another obstacle. They stopped as a light appeared in their way. They gulped wondering just what else could come through those warps or whatever they were!

"What now?!" the three cried as they saw the outlines of the robot and soon it landed before them.

They watched as the tall robot straightened and stood up, his citrine optics adjusting towards the strange and alien planet. He looked ahead and scanned his surroundings slowly before peering down at the creatures near his feet.

Alexis let out a gasp surprising the others around her. Her gasp wasn't that of fear or anything, but of surprise and shock—as if she's seen this being before. She covered her mouth with one hand as her other subconsciously flew to her pendant.

Something, she didn't know what just now, but something made her heart pound wildly against her chest. She felt her body start to tremble, but it wasn't in fear. In fact, she couldn't figure out what this feeling inside of her was, why? Why did she feel this way?

So many questions, but not enough answers!

"Is this a good guy or bad?" Carlos stuttered as he leaned in and whispered towards Rad.

"I—I don't know," Rad said with a gulp as the larger robot dressed in red and white coloring peered down at them.

"M-Maybe we should run for it!" Alexis suggested going to turn around, but finding her legs stuck in place.

"Y-Yeah, that sounds good," Carlos said with a nod as he and Rad turned to run, but found their female friend frozen where she stood—unable to tear her trembling gaze away from the being before them.

"Alexis! Come on! We need to go!" Rad said as they came up to the girl who remained where she stood, looking as if she was on the verge of crying.

"Awe man!" Carlos cried as he gripped his hair. "She's about to cry 'cause she's so scared!"

Alexis felt the sting coming to her eyes and had no idea why her tears were beginning to well up and blur her gaze. Yes she was scared, but not to where she was going to cry! What are these tears for?! These tears felt as if they were the tears of one who hasn't seen a friend in a long . . . long . . . long time.

_What . . what is this feeling coming over me?_ Alexis felt her insides tremble at the thought of knowing this being before her—perhaps—in another life.

She was so caught up in her thoughts she hadn't noticed another being warp behind the one she stared at. This other one seemed to know the being as he turned to him and question his halt.

"Starscream, there are Minicons right there, are you going to grab them or what?" the other spoke to him.

_Starscream?_ Alexis felt her heart skip a beat just at the mere mention of the name—had she known that name before? It didn't seem like it, but somehow . . . it was so familiar.

"I know, I can see them Demolisher!" he growled out. "But—what on Cybertron are the creatures with them?"

"I don't know," the one named Demolisher said. "Looks like some fleshing species or something. Who cares, just grab them."

"Whatever," the one named Starscream groaned out as he bent over, his large blackened hand going to grab the three robots.

"Guys RUN!!" Carlos cried as he darted off.

"Alexis come on!" Rad cried as he grabbed her shoulders, resorting into pulling her now.

He had somehow managed to turn the motionless Alexis around to follow after Carlos and the three robots but halted upon seeing their Hispanic friend gapping at something.

"Oh what now?!" Rad groaned as he watched yet another warp form behind them revealing two figures.

Alexis soon brought her eyes up to a lighter colored 'bots' shoulder and noticed the red insignia. Something was so familiar about that face—that sign. Instantly she knew it meant safety.

"Guys! Get out of the way!" Alexis shouted as they quickly darted out of the way between the four robots just in time for all of them to come clashing together.

"Whoaho! It's like a giant alien robot showdown!" Carlos fanned.

"What—What is going on exactly?!" Rad asked as he laid on the ground, panting.

"I don't know," Alexis said as she bit her bottom lip in frustration. "I just don't know."

As they watched the fight from where they hid behind rocks Alexis, for some strange reason, couldn't keep her eyes off that certain 'bot that tried to grab the minibots earlier. There was just something about him that captivated her and for the life of her she couldn't figure out why.

She watched as he clashed with the lighter 'bot drenched in yellow. She watched him grit his teeth and bear his frustration out on the robot he fought. She watched his metallic brow crease as he used most of his might to push, what seemed to be, the younger 'bot.

For some strange reason she could tell this 'bot was unhappy. Whether with his position in this mysterious fight, or something else. Something was wrong with him, internally. She didn't know how she could tell such a thing, but somehow—she could feel it. This was a bitter, very bitter robot before her and why? she didn't know.

"Um guys!" Carlos let out a gulp making Rad turn, but Alexis still kept her eyes on the strange 'bot.

Rad gasped before tapping Alexis on the shoulder, thus successfully breaking her out of her trance to make her turn and find herself engulfed in a shadow. Alexis let her eyes wander up as they widened at the being before them . . . it was that SAME robot from before—the EVIL one!

"Hm, hm, give me the Minicons fleshlings," his deep voice just dripped with malice as his ruby optics peered down at the gapping children knowing he had just caught them between a rock and a hard place.

**Hot Shot's girl: Okay just letting you guys know this story still needs LOTS of thinking on so updates may be slow. I know, it's sad, but that's how it is. I don't want to be sitting at the com staring at the blank document going "Uuuuuhhhh, what am I going to write again?" Nope, that's not me. I like to sleep on it, walk on it, bathe on it, lol Yes I must think about it for a while, but like I said earlier ideas help me :D If you guys have any feel free to share ANY time :D**

**Well, until next chp bye :D**


	3. Confusion And Past Hurt

**Hot Shot's girl: (Sob, sob, sob) TT TT TT TT I'm so SORRY for not updating in MONTHS! TT TT I just . . . haven't felt like doing this story and I know I made all you faithful readers wait so long so go ahead! hurt me! (Sniff) I deserve it . . . but not too much okay ;D Well still, sorry, I've just been dead-hooked onto One Piece and it looks like it's going to be staying that way for a while :/ so again, don't know when I'll update next, but hopefully I won't put off this story for so long. Sorry friends! Well enjoy this chp! I know I should be writing a hundred for you guys, but I'm just not that fast of a typer . . . :) enjoy.**

"Crap!" Rad gasped, his mouth agape. "This is bad guys!"

"Man! What are we gonna do?" Carlos nearly squeaked like a little girl 'cause he was so scared.

"Should we just hand over the 'bots like they say?" Rad asked, looking at their new friends who looked ever frightened.

That phrase instantly snapped Alexis out of her trance. Her head snapped towards Rad and instantly a scowl formed on her face.

"Don't say such a thing Rad!" She spat, surprising her male friends quite a bit. "Can't you see these guys are FRIGHTENED of them? It's obvious they'll be hurt if they get a hold of them!"

"I—I know that Alexis," Rad said, shaking off the shock from Alexis' sudden outburst. "But how else are we going to get out of here ALIVE?"

"We won't!" Alexis nearly shouted. "Even . . . even if we give them up he's still going to kill us."

"But how do you know that Alexis?" Carlos spoke up. "We don't know anything about these aliens and you act like you do!"

"I . . . I don't know okay!" Alexis said, biting her bottom lip as her hands came to grip her head. "I'm just as confused as you are!"

"Well now's not the time to be confused!" Rad said, turning to her.

"I've tried to ask nicely cretins," Megatron groaned letting his hand fall upon them. "But if you are just going to stand there running in circles then I shall just take them!"

At that Megatron grabbed the Minicons—but at the cost of the humans as well. They all screeched to be set free, Megatron not caring if he had the fleshlings in hand—as long as he had the small power-boosting 'bots—that was all the mattered.

"AAAHHH, What are we gonna do NOW? ! ? !" Rad gasped, the purple metal grip around him was tight and he could hardly breathe.

"We're going to be crushed like bugs! ! !" Carlos cried, slamming his eyes shut, not wishing to see the end.

"Guys!" Alexis gasped, finding a way to turn around in her cramped position and face the shivering Minicons. "Please! I know you can do something! You have to!"

She knew they were scared, Grindor, Sureshock, and Highwire always feared the Decepticons because of a past she had yet to remember. She knew they were scared, but so were they. Their small frail human bodies weren't meant to be handled like this from a giant alien robot. Any moment and they could break.

"Please!" Alexis cried, it was getting harder and harder for her speak—the air in her lugs being squeezed out by the minute.

_'We are sorry Elixsa—but we cannot'_, came their response.

"Gasp! What—what did you call me? !" Alexis' eyes widened at the name—it struck something in her like how a scent struck up a long forgotten memory inside your brain.

Before anything further happened the humans and Minicons all cried out from the sudden push. They felt the robot holding them lurch forward as if he was rammed from behind, thus losing his grip on his hold. All the children and small 'bots fell out, crying that they'd be smashed to pieces on the boulders below. In one swift move the Minicons transformed and made sure the humans landed on their seats as comfortable as possible—but it was a long way down and even if the humans had landed on them it didn't stop some from falling off, or getting hurt in the process.

"Gahha!" Carlos grunted, landing on his skateboard friend, but the footing was rather bad and he only ended up falling over and into the dirt right on his chest.

Alexis was another to fall off her faithful Minicon. She had thought she had a good grip on him, but the poor 'bot's wheel hit a rock and caused him to jerk hard to the right, Alexis falling over on her hip.

"Ugh!" she groaned soon coughing at the dust around her.

She quickly recovered, glancing around frantically to make sure her friends were okay.

"Rad! Carlos! Are you alright? ! Answer me!" she gasped.

"A-Ok Alexis," Carlos gave a thumb's up and quickly let his arm fall back to his side from where he lay still aching on the ground.

"Rad? !" Alexis gasped, turning around to look behind her as the dust cleared.

She let out a relieved sigh seeing that the teen still managed to stay on his Minicon's seat, though the look on his face was quite comical.

"Heeree," he gulped hard through clenched teeth and shaking eyes, his hands popping veins from where they gripped Highwire's handlebars—he had landed on the bike's seat a little 'too hard'.

"Good," Alexis let out a sigh, placing a hand over her heart to where her pendant resided. "Everyone made it out okay."

As her fingers came to clench around her 'Promise' suddenly something snapped inside of her. Her eyes snapped open and she looked down to find it—GONE!

"My Promise! ! !" she gasped, looking around frantically for her treasure. "No, no, no, no, NO!"

She bit hard into her bottom lip, her teal eyes searching long and hard for it. It had to have fallen nearby right? Wait! What if she had dropped it earlier and just hadn't noticed? ! What if—

"No!" Alexis cried out, her hands flying to her face to hold her tears away from the world, suddenly she felt her heart torn in two at losing it—sure before she had lost it but it had always found itself back in her room at home, but she wasn't at home now was she! ?

With a sniff Alexis blinked her left eye, something bright and green had managed to peek its way through a crack in one of Alexis' figures. At first she was annoyed by getting a bright light shined in her eyes, but stopped immediately knowing only one thing that could emit a shine like that. She threw her arms back to her sides and gasped with wide eyes.

There it was!

It was laying in the dirt only a few yards from her, the thing was . . . it was right in the middle of the battlefield. She looked up to see the blue and white one push the one known as Demolisher away, his foot nearly smashing it to pieces.

_NO!_ Alexis' heart gasped, her hand coming to clench at her shirt fabric just above her heart . . . if that pendant was smashed or broken then so would her heart be.

It was rather silly—for a person to be that attached to a piece of jewelry. Many would call it childish and stupid, Alexis knew it was—to them at least, but not to her. This piece of jewelry was like a part of her—just as important as a vital organ or a limb—would a human being let that get trampled on? Heck no! They'd try and save it with all their might.

Alexis let out a gasp, quickly dunking behind a rock nearest her. She saw the red and white 'bot known as Starscream step right near her pendent and now he wouldn't move. She watched as his eyes, or whatever they were, moved, zoomed in so to say. He was searching for them—for their Minicons.

_Crap!_ Alexis said to herself, curling her body close. _He won't move! He won't move!_

She turned to peek around the rock and still he was there! Suddenly a flare of anger shot up inside her.

_Won't he move already? !_ She growled inwardly, secretly shaking a fist at him.

With a huff she slammed her back against the rock she was hiding behind again, and crossed her arms. She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. She'd have to stay there and wait until he moved and right now there was nothing more that she wanted to do than to get her Promise back into her arms.

She jumped slightly feeling a light step from the 'bot's foot. With a dreaded fear she peeked once more to make sure her pendant was safe. She squeaked inwardly seeing his foot had moved, and had nearly CRUSHED HER PROMISE! ! !

She could see he barely missed it by a hair, it now resting up on some up-moved dirt right next to his foot—nearly touching it. She knew that if he shifted again he'd crush it—or kick up a large enough rock to do the job and she just couldn't take that chance.

_No, no, no!_ She trembled inwardly and outwardly—what was she going to do? ! Run out and hope she could grab it? ! No way! That'd bring her way too close to the robot and frankly—these guys weren't as slow as the movies made them out to be. _I can't though! I can't just sit here and do NOTHING while he destroys my Promise! I can't take that chance!_

So as Alexis calmed herself by closing her eyes and exhaling softly. She inhaled a great breath and with all her speed she could muster up darted out of her hiding place. Her movement immediately alerted Starscream and his head shot towards her directions.

Movement: Detected

Object: Organic Life Form

"One of the humans," he whispered to himself with a displeased sigh, frankly he could care less about them—it was the Minicons that were his sole objective but then again . . . the human femme could lead him to one, or more. "Might as well," he said with another sigh.

He watched her curiously, running as fast as she could with those tiny little legs of hers. He was taken back a bit by her bravery—one so small going up against him? Just what were these things mainframes made out of? Slag?

"Whatever," he said to himself with a creaking roll of his shoulder joints and suddenly he bent forward, his arm reaching out to grab her.

_Crap!_ Alexis saw the sun vanish from her and a large shadow engulfing her, she turned her head upward a bit to see the 'bot reaching out to her—not as fast as she would have thought, but still it would catch her soon_. I didn't think he'd notice me this soon! . . . okay so maybe I did, but . . ._ She looked ahead of her towards where her pendant rested, still intact._ If I jump and hopefully slide then maybe I can . . . it's worth a shot!_

Starscream watched as the human suddenly lurched itself forward. His descent on her halted as he observed her next move. He watched her slide through the earth and watched as the side of his foot met her fragile body.

_What the slag is that femme doing? !_ Starscream grumbled inwardly, watching her unmoving form for but mere seconds before his annoyance of the creatures got to him.

With a grumble he turned his arm towards her direction. His black metallic hand coming down on her form.

"Yes—I got it," Alexis smiled as she hugged the pendent close to her heart, she'd never let it out of her sight again. "Ugh!" she grunted, feeling strong and hard metal fingers wrapping around her small frame.

She closed her eyes shut knowing this was stupid—to open herself up to the enemy, but she had no choice—her Promise was in the way of getting destroyed. She would gladly do it again if she ever got the chance.

"Ah!" Alexis gasped, feeling the weight close in upon her as she slowly ascended feet upwards into the air.

With a gasp Alexis felt her Promise slip through her fingers, she had caught the loop of the necklace, but the pendant still slide in-between her body and the large robotic fingers she heard the soft 'clink' as it swung against one of the many joints in the Deception's fingers. Because only her shoulders and head were visible in the grasp she hadn't noticed the faint light that suddenly appeared on her Promise, but suddenly she felt her captor halt the movement of his arms.

Starscream gasped as a strange flash of green illuminated his sensors. His optics overreacting from the sudden assault on his vision. His jaw creaked open revealing his platinum plates a human would call teeth. In that flash, once his sensors began to fix themselves from the strange happening he looked down to see someone he had not seen in millenniums.

His hand was not grasping that small organic he had once picked up, but now it was the slender arm of a white, golden, and violet 'bot. This arm that he grasped had once known his touch such a long time ago. The touch of caressing and gentle care—now it looked as if the tips of his metallic fingers dent into her beautiful plating.

With trembling optics he looked down just a little further to see the beautiful teal optics of his once sparkmate. Those optics that once glew at him with a soft light of love and adoration now looked at him as if she was frightened and he were a stranger to her.

"Elixsa? !" he gasped, numbly letting her arm go and suddenly she vanished—like a mirage of wavy fumes back into reality.

"Aahh—guh!" Alexis grunted, her shoulder hitting the ground first and then the rest of her body—even though she felt as if she had dislocated it, everything was intact—and more importantly . . . she pulled out her pendant and smiled fondly at it . . . she had her Promise.

Alexis turned on her side and looked up at the Decepticon. What her eyes met was something completely off from his attitude earlier that Alexis thought something must have struck him. She watched him tremble, his arms, his hands, his fingers, even his shoulders. His metal lips even trembled, though his mouth still remained agape.

She hadn't thought such metal features could express so much emotion—it was almost as if he were human. She looked up at his citrine optics, then at the metallic brow of his—strangely she could see an upturn in it, his optics flickering a strange show of soft lights—almost like pupils would when a hurt, or angry expression was made.

That was all the time she had to examine him though, for just as soon as she looked at his face a young 'bot came running up to him, ramming him right to the ground. She actually lifted into the air about 3 inches from the impact—but she was a little too confused by the red and white 'bots actions and expressions to jump in fear from the impact.

"ALEXIS! ! !" Rad and Carlos suddenly came running out to her, all three Minicons to boot.

"Are you alright Alexis? !" Rad asked, helping the girl sit up.

"What were you thinking? !" Carlos gasped, grabbing at his hair.

"Sorry guys," she groaned, maybe her shoulder was dislocated—it hurt that bad after all. "I dropped this,"

At that she opened her hand to reveal her green-gemmed pendant. Rad and Carlos groaned in annoyance. They looked at each other with the same looks before turning back to Alexis, she knew she was going to get scolded for this.

"How could you do that Alexis? !" they scolded. "You could have died for that—stupid necklace! !"

"I don't care," she said, holding it close to her heart—where it should be. "I would do it again."

"Ugh! Stubborn as always Alexis!" Rad groaned, rolling his eyes with Carlos. "Come on Carlos, let's get her out of here before we all get killed!"

"Right!" Carlos agreed with a nod as they picked the wounded girl up and secured her onto the handy orange moped.

Rad made sure they were out of sight from the large alien robots before telling the Minicons to kick it into high gear and speed off back to their town. The Minicons seemed to agree with mental nods as they sped off with the humans far away from the warring fractions. Rad made sure to ride up next to Alexis to make sure she didn't fall off her ride, seeing how one arm of hers wasn't working too well.

Rad then glanced behind them and soon the mountains were in the far distance, they were far enough away from that nightmare and as he turned his head to look ahead of them he smiled brightly seeing their town basking in the rusty orange light of the setting sun.

Home sweet home from a nightmare.

* * *

Alexis rubbed her wrapped up shoulder and arm resting in a cast. She hadn't broken her arm, but it was bruised and a muscle pulled. Her shoulder had dislocated like she thought though—getting it back into it's joint was one of the most painful things she'd ever done.

You think that was hard though—explaining her injuries to her mom was harder. Sure she had just said she went rock-climbing with Rad and Carlos up in the mountains, but her mother scolded her for being so childish and immature for not bringing any rock-climbing gear. Yeah . . . that so would have helped her prevent these injuries . . .

Alexis pulled her knees up to her lips and rested like that, her good arm wrapping around her legs as she sat on the lonely couch out in a dark lonely living room—the only light was from the kitchen bar behind her, but she was in the dark. Her thoughts wouldn't stop running towards what had just happened that day—sure any other person would always thing about it, it was something it was . . .

Alexis let out a sigh as she leant back against the couch and let her hand come to her pendant neatly resting around her neck and against her breasts—where it belonged. She rubbed her finger over its green gem and instantly noticed something wrong about it.

"Uh!" Alexis gasped as she quickly took it in her hand and held it up to her face . . . there was a small crack resting on the far left of the gem, it wasn't deep but Alexis could still feel it—it hadn't been there before! "A crack? !"

Alexis shook her head denying it was there, but as her teal eyes continued to gaze at it she knew it wasn't an illusion—it was there, on her Promise—a knick—a crack!

"How? ! How? ! !" Alexis nearly shouted, her anger was fizzled and she was more than upset. "Did that robot do this? ! Did Starscream—? !"

Alexis stopped herself from going on a rampage and so just clenched her fists roughly and bit into her lip to halt herself. After a near explosion inside she let out a hard sigh. She slumped back against her couch and looked up at the white ceiling staring at their white fan just whishing around and around, leaving a soft breeze of lavender scented air to blow on her strained face.

What a day.

That thought alone invaded Alexis' mind. What was she to think of all this? What could she? So much happened, too much actually for a human mind to comprehend. What were the Minicons talking about? Just who exactly where those familiar beings, those giant robots who moved like humans? Maybe she'd have a talk with her Minicon friend about this later . . . but now . . . now she just wanted to forget really.

That one 'bot stood out the most—that red and white one, one she knew as a Decepticon. The one who had almost crushed her beloved Promise and most likely caused the crack she felt in it now. Why on earth was he so familiar to her? Why? !

With a groan Alexis grabbed a handful of her bangs and yanked—it was a hair-pulling annoyance she wanted gone. She let her arm go and rest over her eyes and sighed out heavily again. Just what was happening to her? Other than normal teenage hormones . . .

"Why should I care," Alexis groaned to herself, turning to rest her chin on her good shoulder. "That that transformer looked hurt . . . ?"

It was true, Alexis noticed the look on the 'bot that had dropped her. It was of a past hurt—a seen emotion for humans, but for robots? Still . . . it haunted her and suddenly her heart sank just by remembering the look on his face. For some strange reason . . . she wanted that look gone from him, she never wanted to see him that hurt, and sad, looking again.

"Why should I care?" Alexis whispered it out once more before hiding her face in her arm, afraid to let anyone see that she 'supposedly' was crying over nothing—nothing at all.

* * *

_What the slag was that? _Starscream asked himself inwardly as he held up his hand, flexing the rotating joints slightly—remembering holding the arm of a passed loved one. _How come I saw her? How come it still feels like I felt her? !_

Starscream was getting frustrated at the confusion and soon he swept his arm across a crate and knocked off a small barrel of oil—it flying across the room and hitting Cyclonus.

"Ow! Heeeey!" He groaned, turning towards Starscream and then looking at his ruined paint. "You got oil all over me Starscream! What's the deal? !"

"I wouldn't talk to him Cyclonus," Demolisher whispered to him. "He's been in a 'mood' lately."

"What? Still crying over his sparkmate's death?" Cyclonus said a little too loud. "Come on! It's been millenniums!"

Demolisher watched Starscream flinch with the way Cyclonus flew his words. He knew he should shut Cyclonus up but the idiot wouldn't listen to him.

"Cyclonus!" Demolisher tried to hush him before it was too late.

"What?" Cyclonus said, his tone still too high on the volume grid.

"What was that Cyclonus? !" Starscream growled furiously, getting up, taking his wing off to reveal a sword and stomping over harshly to his comrade. "You want to fight? !"

"Oh no," Demolisher gulped, backing up slowly knowing this wasn't going to be pretty.

"Stand down mechs!" barked the deep voice of their commander.

Starscream though wouldn't listen, his teeth scrapped against each other to make a long screeching metallic sound as he continued his march towards the 'clown' of the Deceptions.

"Starscream!" Megatron barked, his force of tone more loudly and demanding of the 'bot.

Starscream now halted, jerking his face towards his leader who was standing in the dark doorway with his arms crossed; the look on his face was that of disapproval. Still though, Starscream sneered and jerked his face back towards a cringing Cyclonus who jumped under his intense stare.

"There is to be no fighting amongst another!" he spat. "That even goes for you Starscream—no matter the matter!"

Starscream grumbled and soon placed his sword back as his wing. He then turned and stomped back over to where he had seated himself amongst the old crates. He crossed his arms and nearly hid himself in the shadows—if it weren't for the glow of his optics you'd think only half his body was there.

"Now that you are all _behaved_," Megatron grumbled, he gave a snort towards Starscream's direction. "I have something to tell you all."

"You found a Minicon?" Cyclonus beamed optimistically.

"No," Megatron said, disappointing the chopper. "But I have to tell you we had alerted too many humans on our trip to that planet."

"But it wasn't our fault," Demolisher explained. "Those Autobots ruined our cover!"

"True, but just so that does not happen again," Megatron explained. "We are going to be needing new modes."

"Really? !" Cyclonus asked, his grin widening by the millisecond. "YEHES! Upgraaaade~!"

"Are you sure about this sir?" Demolisher asked.

"Of course I am!" Megatron spat, beaming blood red optics towards the smaller 'bot. "The Autobots are probably already ahead of us! And I HATE being behind them, so you 'bots will do as you're told and pick out knew transformation modes."

"Yes sir!" Cyclonus and Demolisher said in unison with a salute.

Megatron dismissed them with a nod as they quickly tattered off and out of the room. Megatron stood there for about a minute before he tuned his heard towards Starscream who had not made a sound since he spoke. Megatron turned to him and gazed at the dark-tempered Decepticon for a while.

The 'bot seemed so hotheaded lately; anyone could easily tap into his anger . . . of course he knew why. The slaggard was still mourning his lost sparkmate. Please, he knew she's been offline for some good millenniums . . . he just couldn't let it go—well it was what happened when Transformers bonded and then one passed on to the Well Of Allsparks—hhh, it was best to stay single he thought to himself.

"Starscream," he said, but the 'bot wouldn't look at him and so he tried again, his tone louder and more demanding that the 'bot listen to his superior. "Starscream!"

Megatron watched the 'bot's head slowly turn towards him, but still he remained in silence.

"I don't want slag from you, you hear me!" Megatron threatened, pointing an accusing finger at the jet. "If I hear you getting into fights for stupid reasons I won't hesitate to send your aft back to Cybertron with the other footmechs you hear me? !"

Starscream looked away again, but replied—

"Yes sir."

"That's what I like to hear," Megatron said, straightening his spine platings.

Megatron then turned and readied to leave, but halted for a moment longer to gaze at Starscream who still sat by himself.

"Oh—and one more thing," he said, watching the jet's head turn towards him with dark optics. "It's about time you got over her . . . wouldn't you say?"

Megatron stayed for a moment longer, waiting to see a reaction from the mech—but when he got none he shrugged it off and left him alone.

Starscream thought nothing of it—Megatron had been telling him this for eons, and frankly—he just didn't care what he had to say. There was nothing in the rulebooks where it said he had to listen to his advice—just orders. Immediately pushing his commander out of his thoughts he began to think of another . . . his sparkmate.

"Elixsa," he whispered her name out longingly . . . he had never been the same since she vanished leaving his spark erupted into nothing but small flares impossible to rejoin together.

He had thought he was getting better, he had thought he wouldn't think of her so much anymore now that he was on this important mission with his leader and other comrades, but no . . . that strange happening had to happen and remind him of his lost love.

Starscream sighed out roughly before getting up and joining the others in the tech room where their new models would be waiting for them to scan and take form of.

They'd be going out to the Planet called Earth very soon.


	4. Loneliness

**Hot Shot's girl: here's another sloooow update for this story, lol, well at least I'm updating okay, lol. I actually had part of this already written about a month ago but then just stopped, I got back on it 'cause I had a fight with my dad . . . it seems most of my updates go on when I'm angry at him and shut myself in my room with nothing else to do but type on my com. Yeah . . . it's bad, I know, sorry, but angry or not please enjoy :)**

Alexis opened her eyes to gaze into her dark mess-filled room. She turned her teal eyes towards her curtained window and could see small rays of light trying to squeeze their way through into the dark. She could tell it was day—probably near noon, she had been sleeping for a while, and so with a groan Alexis sat up and rubbed her head, her hair a mess.

"Ugh, why do I feel so groggy?" she asked her self, slumping over and sluggishly getting herself out of bed towards the bathroom right next to her room.

She did her business, took a shower, brushed her teeth, fixed her hair, etc. There she stared at herself in the mirror, the circles around her eyes were very visible—due to the lack of sleep she had been getting lately. Those sleepless nights thinking about that day when her life seemed to have changed for the worst, those thoughts had always invaded her mind and thanks to her injury her mom insisted she stay out of school for a week or two but of course the homework was shipped to her and that was a pain—catching up with school.

With a heavy sigh Alexis rubbed her droopy eyes, what brought her back into reality was the sound of electronical beeping—she had almost forgotten about her little friend. She opened the bathroom door to see the little robot standing in front of her with a tray in his hands full with breakfast—cereal of course, since Alexis wouldn't dare let him near mom's stove for some good eggs and corned-beef hash.

"Hey Sureshock," Alexis said with a lightened smile. "Glad to see you."

He beeped happily and came to set the tray down in Alexis' room, upon her desk. Alexis thanked him before digging in to her cereal, though she had to admit—would it hurt for a cooked breakfast? Mom had been at her aunt Martha's for a week now and each day was the same—Sureshock coming in to bring her a bowl of cereal and milk. With a arm still in a cast it wasn't too easy to cook so Alexis had to deal with cold meals only the robot could make.

'_Are you feeling any better Elixsa?_' he asked, coming to sit down on her bed as she finished her breakfast.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Alexis asked, turning her head towards the orange Minicon who was testily patting Alexis' soft bed, wondering what substance it was made out of and why it was so—bouncy. "And please stop bouncing on my bed."

'_My apologies_,' he beeped with an incline of his dark head.

Even though it was still a little odd to Alexis she didn't mind at all that she could understand their language. It was good to communicate with him, that way it made it easier to have a conversation with the other.

"Well?" Alexis asked, chewing on the bunches and oats. "Do I look like someone you've seen before and is that why you're mistaking me for someone else?"

'_Do you wish me to call you Alexis_?' the 'bot asked, his bright yellow eyes almost comparing to that of a puppy's.

"I'd like that actually," Alexis said with a nod. "It's really confusing—you calling me by a different name. Who was this Elixsa anyways?"

'_She was a Transformer_,' Sureshock said.

"You mean, one of those giant robots?" Alexis asked.

'_That is correct_,' he nodded slowly.

"Was she a good guy or a bad guy?" Alexis asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

'_She was neither really_,' Sureshock admitted with a few beeps and roll of his shoulder rotators. '_But she was very kind to my people. She helped us in our time of need and so, for that, we owe her our very lives._'

"Well that's nice and all but what exactly happened to her?" Alexis asked, finishing up on her cereal.

'_She extinguished_,' he beeped lowly, casting his optics down.

"You mean she died?" Alexis asked, her tone softer seeing how she really was someone special to these mini-bots.

'_Yes_,' he said with a soft nod. '_But it seems Primus has blessed her with more than one life._'

"Really?" Alexis asked optimistically. "So you're saying she's still out there somewhere and you can find her?"

'_I suppose_,' Sureshock said with a small shrug and cock of his head, the look in his optics told Alexis he was smiling fondly and it looked as if that smile was directed towards her.

"So . . . are you Minicons going to try and find her . . . now that you're awake?" Alexis asked, the mood seeming a bit awkward with how her Minicon smiled at her.

'_There is no need_,' he said, resuming that strange smile.

"Uh-huh . . ." Alexis bit the side of her lip trying to think of a way out of this odd predicament. "Well," with a sigh she took her tray up. "I'm gonna go put these in the sink."

Alexis walked down the hall and placed her dirty dishes into the sink, rinsed them out, and then placed them into the dishwasher. She looked over towards the fridge where her mother had stuck the note to a magnet saying she was going to be gone for about a week at her sister's, Alexis' aunt Martha. She then looked at the other note beside it, the one from her father saying he was going to be out of town for a month—and then the one next to it—her brother's college schedule of when he'll be coming home on off days—hhh, an empty household it seemed—all but Alexis.

"Uh-hu . . . why couldn't I have had more siblings?" Alexis moped, bowing her head knowing that if she did, she wouldn't be as lonely in this house.

She turned her head towards the living room and all the family portraits that hung around the area. Many were of her and her brother when they were little, playing around, laughing, being siblings. The others were filled with portraits through the years that her mother and father insisted they get every year to keep the memories. Their family of four could seem quite small compared to others . . .

Sure Rad was an only child, but Carlos had quite a few other siblings, a few older and many younger. He always had the craziest of stories to tell about his large family and Alexis sometimes wished her family was as large as his—it would be much more fun with all those siblings. That way you'd never feel lonely around the house—like she was feeling right now.

_'Alexis . . . is something wrong?'_ Sureshock came in seeing Alexis like this.

"Hm? Oh, no, I'm fine," Alexis lied, looking away from the 'bot feeling as if his eyes were too knowing.

_"You're statistics show you are not 'fine','_ Sureshock said with a small nod.

"What? You can scan my emotions? !" Alexis asked with a disbelieving blink.

_'In a way,'_ He said, clasping his hands together. _'My scanners are able to read your pulse, heart rhythm, flow of blood, even your brain activity.'_

"Well then, I guess there's no lying to you," Alexis let out a small chuckle. "I'm just lonely alright . . . unbearably so for some reason."

As Alexis whispered that last part out Sureshock picked up other readings from the human female. She was telling the truth this time, but he could see even without his scanners that her 'mood' was terrible. She was lonely, but he wondered if it was a loneliness that could be helped—or one that couldn't.

"Hey Sureshock, can I ask you something?" Alexis asked the Minicon, turning back to him.

The 'bot picked his head up and placed all attention on the fleshling.

_'Yes, what is it Alexis?'_ He asked, willing to listen to anything she had to ask.

"You've been alive for a long time right?" Alexis asked. "Just how long?"

'For many a millennia,' He answered, throwing Alexis into dizziness.

"That long huh?" she said, shaking off her dizziness. "This war you spoke about before—how long has it been going on?"

_'Ever since my kind appeared,'_ Sureshock said with a small roll of his shoulder rotators.

"So it's a struggle for power," Alexis assumed.

_'For the Deceptions, yes, but for the Autobots it is a struggle to free us from bondage,'_ Sureshock nodded. _'Though my people and I agree war is never a way to solve any problem.'_

"I see," Alexis nodded. "And . . . do you know who all where there fighting? The time you and the others were awakened?"

_'The leader of the Decepticons was there—Megatron, and so was the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime,'_ Sureshock answered with a nod, remembering all the faces he saw there—and all the familiar ones at that. _'Optimus Prime's Chief Medical Officer was with him, Red Alert, and Optimus' young apprentice, Hot Shot—I actually remember him back on Cybertron . . . he was very friendly to our kind, always smiling . . . anyways among Megatron's mechs, that I remember seeing where his faithful footmech, Demolisher, and his Second-in-command, Starscream.'_

"Starscream," Alexis whispered the name that seemed to flow so fluently off her lips.

'Is there anything else you wish to know?' Sureshock questioned.

"Eh, nope, I'm good. Thanks for the info Sureshock," Alexis turned and smiled sweetly at him, albeit it was forced.

At that she trotted off, speaking to herself about how she needs to get out and see what her friends were up to. Sureshock only watched the girl wondering if she was really okay. Sure he was no expert in human life, but Alexis wasn't too far from a Transformer than she thought.

* * *

"How d'you like your new mode Starscream?" Cyclonus came up to him, just about rubbing his extra parts in the red 'bots face.

"It's fine," Starscream spoke up, holding up one of his arms and looking at the extra layer of armor he seemed to have gained by just scanning an alt mode from one of earth's vehicles.

"Aww, why the sour face?" Cyclonus giggled, jabbing his elbow at the jet. "I mean sure our modes are more bulky, but just think about the extra power we get by scanning knew alt modes!"

Starscream only ignored the idiot—by getting up and walking over to the other side of the room, the darker side. There he sat amongst the rubble and kept to himself. Cyclonus only looked on at him and shrugged.

"What's his problem?" Cyclonus shrugged and walked off to perhaps bug someone else.

Demolisher walked in the room and was soon targeted to be the new victim of Cyclonus' annoying. Demolisher tried to shrug him off, but the chopper wouldn't let up.

"Why don't you bug Starscream, Cyclonus!" Demolisher growled, trying to push him away.

"I tried!" Cyclonus explained. "But he's decided to be moody again today."

Demolisher turned to look over the room and find Starscream sitting alone in the darkness. He sighed inwardly wishing the 'bot would just lighten up already. He remembered what he used to be like . . . before _she_ extinguished. Sure he fights a lot better now, more fierce and violent, but still—at least his moods were lighter back then

_We used to be able to laugh together, and joke around—back then_, Demolisher thought to himself remembering the 'old' Starscream.

Back then he and Starscream had actually been on good terms, good friends as well. Starscream was good friends with mostly every Decepticon back then . . . even Megatron. It was rather hard to tell what happened about everything, but all that everyone knew was that Starscream had lost his sparkmate. Simple as that.

Since then Starscream had slipped more and more towards darker attitudes and meaner demeanors. More and more many a Decepticon began to hate him and soon enough fights broke out and 'bots were offlined—by Starscream. It was terrible to see his once friend slipping away into nothing more than a shell of a 'bot, but Demolisher couldn't do anything about it. Starscream was shut off to the world and every Transformer.

"He's such an aft sometimes," Cylconus complained, crossing his arms and slouching forward.

"Cyclonus," Demolisher groaned, wishing he'd stop complaining about Starscream's moods.

"You're right," Cyclonus nodded. "He's an aft ALL the time."

"He wasn't always, remember," Demolisher wished Cyclonus didn't have to see Starscream for what he was now, but what he used to be.

"Yeah, but that's just a distant memory Demolisher," Cyclonus looked at the green-opticed 'bot. "That Starscream isn't coming back, plus! At least Megs isn't complaining about his fighting styles anymore—he's a ruthless killer . . . just what Megatron wanted."

At that Cyclonus marched off, in high moods, out of the room. Demolisher sighed, but did nothing. He looked at Starscream once more before shaking his head and heading off as well.

Starscream was glad the two fools were gone. All they ever did was bicker, bicker, and bicker. It was more than he could take. It took all his might not to slice them both to pieces. They had been asking it for ages.

Everyone has.

Many a new Decepticon would ask when Starscream became so angry with the world, but every time that question was asked the older Decepticons who had known the 'bot longer would explain it was on that day . . . the day his sparkmate offlined.

No one spoke to him about it, especially those who knew better. All knew that once bonded you were bound forever to that mate—even in death you would never let them go, so there was nothing but a life of bitterness and sorrow.

The life Starscream was now currently living.

"Fraggers," Starscream mumbled to himself, he hated everyone always bringing up that—knowing they'd never understand . . . how could they? When they have never been bonded period.

Lifting his black metallic hand slowly he placed it over his chassis. His citrine optics glancing down at where his hand rested. He could feel the small soft pulses come slowly out of his chassis to flutter across his cold hand. It was his spark—ever it pulsed the more slowly. It had been this way ever since Elixsa extinguished.

That day had been the worst day in his life. The day she offlined was a day he could never forget, no matter how many times he wished he could. It had been some weeks after the battle for the Minicons; how every one of the Minicons escaped from the Decepticons was still a great mystery, but all in all . . . it was a loss for both sides, though the Autobots seemed a little more at peace because of their escape.

Since that day the Minicons had escaped she had been missing. Coming home from that long crazed battle and finding his home empty was shocking the most. She was usually always there to greet him home with a gentle loving kiss and care for his wounds that the Decepticon medical officers had purposely forgot. In the whole war that was one of the things he liked—coming home to his happy sparkmate.

But still, the shock of finding her gone put him in a panic. For days he had searched for her fearing something had happened to her, after all she was no Decepticon, nor Autobot even though she seemed to lean more towards the Autobot beliefs. A 'bot like that, where he lived, could end up in all sorts of trouble.

Still, those days weren't enough for him. Battle soon called him again, cutting off his search for his sparkmate. Desperate to find her though he'd easily chop down the Autobots he fought against in order to finish the battle. His choice in fighting easily caught Megatron's optics and soon he was awarded for his valor, though it meant nothing to Starscream.

It was not but two weeks after her disappearance when he felt the worst pain any Transformer could ever feel. There had yet to be a battle that day, but he knew one was soon to come. Right before they received any word of the Autobot's movement he felt it . . . it was like a cold clawed hand took hold of a piece of his spark and ripped it right out, wires detaching, circuits popping, metal bending back and opening into a place where the ripped piece of spark left his body.

That is what it felt like.

He even still can hear that horrid cry of his that somehow erupted from his vocal projectors. It was a horrible scream mixed with raw pain, and sorrow. A wave of emotions flooded him all at once, crashing in to one another, brawling with one another, but if Starscream had anything to say about all the emotions he felt at once in that moment—he'd have to say that loneliness was the highest ranking among them all. It was a horrible, horrible emotion to feel and something he never thought he'd experience.

He was blind to all else, and deaf as well. He could feel hands upon him as his body fell down to the ground. That was the hardest thing he ever went through in his known life. That hurt, that horrid feel. He had been told what it was but never before had he thought he'd ever feel it . . . he never thought it would come to this.

Even though he was deaf to all he could still hear himself screaming out his sparkmate's name. It was a horrible sound, when he cried out her name, that fact he had gotten from his comrades around him as this happened to him.

Of course it wasn't long before the news reached Megatron's audio receptors. As a matter of fact it was by his command that Starscream was forced to enter the oncoming battle that day. The other warriors did believe it wasn't a good idea to place Starscream on the battlefield in such an emotional state as such, but orders were orders.

That day Starscream had offlined the most Autobots in a battle he ever had in any other battle. The sorrow driving him made him plunge his sword into any kind of metal it took for him to be at peace. He thought that the offlinings would put him at peace, but nothing seemed to help so he kept offlining and offlining. The body count was too high to remember, but the sorrow he did and ever he cried out for something to help him ease this pain.

But nothing did.

Once again Starscream was congratulated on his valor, but there was no valor, nothing that drove him to win that battle. Nothing but mindlessness and emptiness. The drive to be rid of those feelings is what drove him mad and had killed so many mechs.

It wasn't until some spark-retching months later when he came to terms that his sparkmate was no more. That she was gone and would never be coming back. That she had left him to live out whatever life he had left in misery. The most horrid thing any Transformer could go through.

Starscream clenched his hand into a cringing fist. The metal groaning at the intensity of the pressure. He bore his teeth and scrapped them hard against the other. He didn't know what had come over him really, but suddenly he was angry—angry at Primus, or whatever god had caused him to see his beloved once again when he had already been living in enough pain as it was!

"Frag it!" he spat, biting at his bottom lip now, so hard he could hear the metal crumbling beneath the pressure of his teeth. "Frag it all to the pit! ! !"

At that Starscream picked up a piece of rubble and quickly tossed it to the other side of the room. The piece had actually crashed into the wall quite hard, causing part of the already collapsed roof to cave in more on that standing wall. Starscream was fuming though; he didn't care if he brought this whole piece of junk ship down!

"Who the frag was that fleshling? !" Starscream grumbled to himself, the anger resonating on that human he had tried to grab, but only found himself grabbing his deceased sparkmate. "She must have pulled some kind of trick on me! But how? How could she have known about Elixsa? ! ?"

With an angry huff Starscream marched out of the room towards the portal room. He was going to find out one way or another. Once arriving there though he stopped, seeing all his comrades ready to go. He blinked once before turning to Megatron who just stared at him.

"You've decided to come Starscream?" Megatron asked.

"Huh, didn't think you were in the mood to come, hee, ha, ha!" Cyclonus chuckled.

"Hurry up and get over here then," Megatron motioned him to come with a nod of his head. "This time, we're going to get some Minicons."

"Yes sir," Starscream all but mumbled as he cast his optics in shadow and entered to portal gate with the others.

* * *

"I'm all in it, but what about Carlos?" Rad asked, turning to his friend.

"I'm all in!" Carlos chirped, placing his kneepads on followed by his helmet.

"You sure though Alexis?" Rad asked, placing his helmet on. "Taking the 'bots out after they were almost attacked—isn't that kind of dangerous?"

"That was a while ago," Alexis waved it off. "Plus, I think they've been wanting to stretch their legs just as much as us. I know you two haven't been to school in a while just like me—traumatized I heard."

"Were not!" Carlos complained.

Alexis giggled before she hopped on Sureshock, the others following in suit. They clung to their Minicons the best they could before Rad raised his arm and cheered—

"Alright! Let's show these 'bots just how awesome this planet is!"

"Yeah! !" Alexis and Carlos cheered after him as Rad led the way and they followed.

It was a beautiful day outside, not too hot, with a nice set of breezes blowing across the desert land. Ah, with the sun on their backs, and wind blowing through their hair it was heaven to the teens. It was true what Alexis said—all three of them hadn't been out in a while since that fight had happened so it was a pleasantry for them all to be riding out and about right now.

"Wooow! I've really missed the outdoors!" Carlos squealed, closing his eyes and feeling the nice cool wind brush against his tanned skin.

"I know right!" Alexis giggled alongside him as they all closed their eyes but for a second to feel to nice air on their faces, letting their Minicons take them wherever they wished.

Though neither had even noticed the electronic eyes on them, watching them from far off.

"I've located them Megatron sir!" Cyclonus saluted, turning to his commander as he waited for a report from his mechs.

"Good, do they have the Minicons with them?" Megatron asked, getting up from the boulder he had been sitting on and walking over towards the chopper.

"Uh, yes, they do," Cyclonus said, turning back to make sure the children were with the Minicons.

"Excellent," Megatron patted the 'bot on the back for a job well done. "Alright men—we're going to make up for lost time and gain three new Minicons."

"Right!" Demolisher and Cyclonus cheered, Starscream staying silent and ever watching the three humans and the Minicons, his optics solely on the female of the group.

"Alright, I'll go after them first, wait for my signal," Megatron said, transforming and then heading off.

"Yes sir!" Demolisher and Cyclonus saluted.

The two quickly noticed their comrade not even paying attention to their leader and so got onto him about that.

"Hey!" Demolisher spoke up. "Starscream have some respect for lord Megatron!"

"Yeah!" complained Cyclonus right behind Demolisher. "At least a salute would be nice!"

"You're annoying," was Starscream's only response as he kept his gaze upon the children, completely ignoring even a glance at his comrades.

"Hmph! How rude!" Cyclonus complained, placing his fists on his hips.

"Hey guys!" Alexis called out to the others before her. "We should do this more often!"

"I agree!" Rad nodded, looking over at Carlos who just threw his arms in the air.

"Oh yeah!" he agreed.

That cheer was cut short once the ground beneath them began to shake. All quieted quickly, looking at the ground wondering if it was an earthquake. They looked at each other before noticing the look on Rad's face and he glanced behind them.

"AAHH! ! LOOK! !" He gasped, pointing behind him with wide eyes.

Alexis and Carlos glanced behind them and instantly noticed the large purple tank behind them. Both screamed out in fright knowing deep down inside it was one of those giant robots again.

"AAHHH! ! !" they cried, edging their Minicons to speed forward.

The Minicons happily obliged, but something seemed to be stopping their paths. In the blink of an eye other military crafts surrounded them. All of them glancing around at the circle they were caught up in and finding no way out.

"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? !" Carlos gasped, pulling at his hair.

Alexis dunked down lower in her Minicon. She grasped the handlebars tightly, glancing from one Transformer to the other.

"Are these—? !" she gasped.

_'Decepticons!'_ Sureshock spoke out.

Alexis gasped at the sudden rush of strong air that blew at her. She almost tumbled off her Minicon if he hadn't kept his steering. She looked over to her side to find a large red and white jet zooming rather low right next to her.

_Starscream!_ Her heart cried.

Even though they had yet to transform she knew who this one was. She could feel it somehow. As if on reflex her hand reached up towards her pendant and clasped it tightly—she was NOT losing it this time.

_Starscream_, The Decepticon heard his name called as if it was somewhere in his mainframe, the voice sounding just like . . .

Starscream glanced at the human girl he was flying next to. It was almost as if she had called him, with the voice of his sparkmate. He didn't know why or how this was happening to him but it was and it was infuriating that someone use his extinguished sparkmate to throw him off concentration!

He scanned the female up and down and noticed the look in her eyes—it was that of fear, but also . . . familiarity!

_Enough!_ He spoke to himself. _I will get to the bottom of this!_

Before Starscream could even do a thing he heard the maniacal laughter of his leader cut off and the sound of a large crash was heard. He looked behind him to see that Optimus Prime himself had rammed nose first right into Megatron.

The Autobots were here!


End file.
